Another drug seizure at Delhi airport

In the fourth drug haul at the Delhi airport within one month, sleuths of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) nabbed a passenger with 16 kg of pseudo-ephedrine tablets on Thursday. The drugs were being smuggled to the northeast.

According to an official, surveillance staff of CISF noticed suspicious movement of a passenger at the Jet Airways check-in area in Terminal 3 at 10:45am on Thursday.

“The passenger was carrying a suitcase and was travelling alone. When his suitcase passed through the scanner, the image on the monitor indicated some narcotic substance,” Hemendra Singh, CISF spokesperson, said.

On physical screening of the bag, tablets weighing 16 kg were recovered. “The tablets were tested with a narcotic substance test kit, which confirmed them to be pseudo-ephedrine. The passenger, C Laltalnpuia, 20, from Manipur was apprehended,” Singh added.

Laltalnpuia was to travel to Guwahati by Jet Airways. During interrogation, he told security agencies that he is a student of Delhi University and works at a call centre. “He said an agent gave him Rs 20,000 and return air tickets for Guwahati. After reaching Guwahati, he was supposed to hand over the suitcase to an agent outside the airport area,” Singh further said.

The recovered tablets were supposed to be supplied to Myanmar. The value of the recovered tablets is Rs 12 lakh in the Indian market and Rs 72 lakh in the international market. Later, customs officials were informed about the recovery and the passenger was handed over to them.

In the recent past, CISF personnel at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport have seized this particular drug in large quantity on different occasions on way to Guwahati.